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Student name:
Author: North Dakota
District: North Dakota Released Tests
Printed: Tuesday October 09, 2012
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Subject: LA, Grade: 08
NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
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Test Booklet
NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
The Tell-Tale Heart
by Edgar Allan Poe
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True! – nervous – very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The
disease had sharpened my senses – not destroyed – not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I
heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and
observe how healthily – how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
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It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.
Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never
given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled
that of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by
degrees – very gradually – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye
forever.
1 In “The Tell-Tale Heart” the underlined word acute
means
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sensitive
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angular
attractive
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Upon the eighth night . . .
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Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should
have seen how wisely I proceeded – with what caution – with what foresight – with what dissimulation I went to
work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about
midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it – oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening
sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in
my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly – very, very slowly,
so that I might not disturb the old man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so
far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! – would a madman have been so wise as this? And then,
when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern very cautiously – oh, so cautiously – cautiously (for the
hinges creaked) – I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven
long nights – every night just at midnight – but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the
work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his evil eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went
boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring
how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that
every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
2 In “The Tell-Tale Heart” the underlined word
conceived means
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altered
formed
lost
rejected
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
3 In “The Tell-Tale Heart” the underlined word
sufficient means
adequate
circular
incomplete
painful
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A
B
C
D
4 In “The Tell-Tale Heart” the underlined word
confused
pleased
understood
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angered
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vexed means
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
5 Select one of the following words from the story: fancy, chamber, or profound. Write an original sentence
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or phrase which demonstrates your understanding of that word’s meaning as used in the story.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
Thank You, M’am
by Langston Hughes
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She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails. It had a long strap and
she carried it slung across her shoulder. It was about eleven o’clock at night, and she was walking alone, when a
boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse. The strap broke with the single tug the boy gave it from
behind. But the boy’s weight, and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his balance so, instead of
taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk, and his legs flew up. The large
woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter. Then she reached down,
picked the boy up by his shirt front, and shook him until his teeth rattled.
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After that the woman said, “Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here.”
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She still held him. But she bent down enough to permit him to stoop and pick up her purse. Then she said, “Now
ain’t you ashamed of yourself?”
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Firmly gripped by his shirt front, the boy said, “Yes’m.”
The boy said, “I didn’t aim to.”
She said, “You a lie!”
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The woman said, “What did you want to do it for?”
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By that time two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look, and some stood watching.
“Yes’m,” said the boy.
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“I’m very sorry, lady, I’m sorry,” whispered the boy.
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“Then I won’t turn you loose,” said the woman. She did not release him.
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“If I turn you loose, will you run?” asked the woman.
“Um-hum! And your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain’t you got nobody home to
tell you to wash your face?”
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“No’m,” said the boy.
“Then it will get washed this evening,” said the large woman starting up the street, dragging the frightened boy
behind her.
He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.
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The woman said, “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to
wash your face. Are you hungry?”
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“No’m,” said the being-dragged boy. “I just want you to turn me loose.”
“No’m.”
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“Was I bothering you when I turned the corner?” asked the woman.
“But you put yourself in contact with me,” said the woman. “If you think that that contact is not going to last
awhile, you got another thought coming. When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs.
Luella Bates Washington Jones.”
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
She said, “What is your name?”
“Roger,” answered the boy.
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Sweat popped out on the boy’s face and he began to struggle. Mrs. Jones stopped, jerked him around in front of
her, put a half nelson about his neck, and continued to drag him up the street. When she got to her door, she
dragged the boy inside, down a hall, and into a large kitchenette-furnished room at the rear of the house. She
switched on the light and left the door open. The boy could hear other roomers laughing and talking in the large
house. Some of their doors were open, too, so he knew he and the woman were not alone. The woman still had
him by the neck in the middle of her room.
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“Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face,” said the woman, whereupon she turned him loose – at
last. Roger looked at the door – looked at the woman – looked at the door – and went to the sink.
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" Let the water run until it gets warm," she said. “Here’s a clean towel.”
“You gonna take me to jail?” asked the boy, bending over the sink.
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“Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere,” said the woman. “Here I am trying to get home to cook me a
bite to eat and you snatch my pocketbook! Maybe you ain’t been to your supper either, late as it be. Have you?”
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“There’s nobody home at my house,” said the boy.
“Then we’ll eat,” said the woman. “I believe you’re hungry – or been hungry – to try to snatch my pocketbook.”
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“I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy.
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“M’am?”
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“Well, you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes,” said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington
Jones. “You could of asked me.”
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The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very -long pause. After he
had dried his face and not knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next.
The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run!
The woman was sitting on the day bed. After awhile she said, “I were young once and I wanted things I could
not get.”
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There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned, but not knowing he frowned.
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The woman said, “Um-hum! You thought I was going to say but, didn’t you? You thought I was going to say, but
I didn’t snatch people’s pocketbooks. Well, I wasn’t going to say that.” Pause. Silence. “I have done things, too,
which I would not tell you, son – neither tell God, if He didn’t already know. So you set down while I fix us
something to eat. You might run that comb through your hair so you will look presentable.”
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In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and went behind
the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse
which she left behind her on the day bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he
thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to
trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.
“Do you need somebody to go to the store,” asked the boy, “maybe to get some milk or something?”
“Don’t believe I do,” said the woman, “unless you just want sweet milk yourself. I was going to make cocoa out
of this canned milk I got here.”
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
“That will be fine,” said the boy.
“Eat some more, son,” she said.
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She heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made the cocoa, and set the table. The woman did
not ask the boy anything about where he lived, or his folks, or anything else that would embarrass him. Instead,
as they ate, she told him about her job in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late, what the work was like, and
how all kinds of women came in and out, blondes, redheads, and brunettes. Then she cut him a half of her
ten-cent cake.
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When they were finished eating she got up and said, “Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue
suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s –
because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet. I got to get my rest now. But I wish you would
behave yourself, son, from here on in.”
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She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. “Goodnight! Behave yourself, boy!” she said, looking
out into the street.
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The boy wanted to say something else other than, “Thank you, m’am,” to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones,
but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door. He barely
managed to say, “Thank you,” before she shut the door. And he never saw her again.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
6 In paragraph form, summarize the plot of this short story. In the paragraph, include the characters and
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conflicts.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
7 The theme of “Thank You, M’am” is a change in behavior through respect, kindness, and understanding.
Describe in detail three ways that Mrs. Jones did this.
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1.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
8 Describe a specific situation in which someone has affected your life or the life of someone you know like
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Mrs. Jones affected Roger’s life.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
JETLINER
by Naoshi Koriyama
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now he takes his mark
at the very farthest end of the runway
looking straight ahead, eager, intense
with his sharp eyes shining
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he takes a deep, deep breath
with his powerful lungs
expanding his massive chest
his burning heart beating like thunders
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then with a most violent kick
he shakes off the earth’s pull
softly lifting himself into the air
soaring higher and higher and higher still
piercing the sea of clouds
up into the chandelier of stars
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then. . . after a few. . . tense moments. . . of pondering
he roars at his utmost
and slowly begins to jog
kicking the dark earth hard
and now he begins to run
kicking the dark earth harder
then he dashes, dashes like mad, like mad
howling, shouting, screaming, and roaring
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
9 There are three parts to this question. In the poem “Jetliner”, the phrase “with his sharp eyes shining” is
an example of personification.
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Part 1: Tell why this is personification.
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Part 2: Find and write another example of personification from this poem.
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Part 3: Write an example of personification that is not found in this poem.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
10 There are three parts to this question. In the next to last line of “Jetliner” the phrase "sea of clouds " is an
example of metaphor.
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Part 1: Tell why this is a metaphor.
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Part 2: Find and write another example of a metaphor from this poem.
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Part 3: Write an example of a metaphor that is not found in this poem.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
Anne Frank: The Story Behind The Play
Persecution of the Jews
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The Diary of Anne Frank, the play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hacket, is based on a real diary written by a
young girl during World War II. Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 12, 1929, before World
War II began. She had a normal, happy childhood until Adolf Hitler and his political party, the Nazis, gained
control of the government of Germany in 1933.
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The Nazis persecuted their political opponents and other groups. One group they particularly singled out was the
Jews. Adolf Hitler blamed the Jews for the problems of the world. He had the Nazis round up German Jews and
send them to prison camps, called concentration camps. Many Jews escaped from Germany to other countries to
avoid this persecution. Even more, though, stayed behind.
World War II
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Anne Frank’s family was Jewish. They left their home in Germany in 1933 and moved to the Netherlands. In
Amsterdam Mr. Frank reestablished his business, and Mrs. Frank set up their new household. Anne and her
older sister, Margot, attended school and made new friends. Anne was known as a lively chatterbox who seemed
to be a normal but not a particularly gifted child. World War II, however, affected the lives of millions of people
on both sides of the fighting, and Anne Frank was no exception.
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World War II officially began on September 1, 1939, when Germany, which had already occupied
Czechoslovakia and taken over Austria, invaded Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany two days
later. Hitler’s forces attacked Denmark, Norway, and Luxembourg; and by May 1940, they invaded and defeated
the Netherlands, where the Franks were now living.
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The Holocaust
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German forces continued to move through Europe and occupied Belgium and France. It was not until May 1945
that Germany was defeated and surrendered to the Allied powers, which included Great Britain, the Soviet
Union, and the United States.
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Meanwhile during the war, everywhere the German army went, Jews were persecuted. Jews had to register with
government authorities and wear yellow stars on their clothing to identify themselves as Jews. Nazis seized their
property and businesses. Millions of Jews throughout Europe were sent to concentration camps. There they were
starved and put to death. About six million Jews died in what became known as the Holocaust, the systematic
extermination of people by the Nazis. Gypsies, Slavs, political prisoners, and disabled people were also included
in this systematic extermination.
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In 1942, however, most Jews were unaware of the extent of the danger they faced. Most simply thought they
would be temporarily imprisoned. To avoid this fate, the Frank family went into what they thought would be
temporary hid ing in the attic of a warehouse and office building that had been part of Mr. Frank’s business in
Amsterdam.
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On her thirteenth birthday, Anne received a diary as a gift. When her family went into hiding, she began to write
regularly and often in her diary. The play The Diary of Anne Frank is based on this diary, which Mr. Frank
recovered when he returned to the secret attic after the war.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
11 Use one of the following methods, outlining, t-notes, or paraphrasing to organize the information in
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paragraphs 2 and 3, The Persecution of the Jews.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
12 Part 1: Reread paragraphs 4 and 5, World War II. Write one detailed
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question which could be discussed after reading this material.
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Part 2: Reread paragraphs 6, 7, and 8, The Holocaust. Write one detailed question which could be
discussed after reading this material.
15 Which reference book would give you the
options for a synonym (a word which means the
same) for allies?
most additional information about concentration
camps?
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B
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B
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dictionary
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dictionary
encyclopedia
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encyclopedia
almanac
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almanac
atlas
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13 Which reference tool would provide the most
thesaurus
thesaurus
16 Which reference would most likely offer informa-
which reference tool would be the most appropriate?
tion about geographical locations of World War II
concentration camps?
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B
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14 To find the correct meaning of extermination,
almanac
thesaurus
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atlas
almanac
atlas
computer software
newspaper articles
periodicals
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
17 One of your teachers is trying to decide on a movie to show in class. Write the first draft of a
recommendation for a movie you have enjoyed that is both appropriate and relevant to the class. Your
recommendation will be shared with the district curriculum committee. Include well- developed paragraphs
and specific reasons for your choice. Avoid plot summary.
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Later you will be given the opportunity to revise this recommendation.
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
18 You have written a movie recommendation to a teacher. Now you are going to revise and rewrite your
recommendation.
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Now ask yourself these questions:
1. Have I given reasons and not merely a plot summary?
2. Have I presented the information in an organized fashion?
3. Have I used variety in my word choices and sentence structure?
4. Have I developed at least four reasons in multi-paragraph form?
5. Have I corrected all errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, usage, and
sentence structure?
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Re-write your recommendation here:
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NDCP Reading/Writing Grade 8
LA:08
19 Read the following piece of writing. Correct any errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, usage,
and spelling. Do not rewrite the paragraphs. Do not add or delete words.
Movies offer many oppertunities for enjoyment almost everyone agrees that
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its alot of fun to spend an evening with friends. Eating popcorn drinking
pop, and chomping on candy all add to that fun.
Their are various types of movies available. Comedeys are often favorites
but many people enjoy Classics such as The Sound of Music. One of the
favorites for the holidays are It’s a Wonderful Life. Whatever you’re movie
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preference. Your bound to have a really good time.
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